Photo courtesy Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

SCROLL DOWN FOR LEG UPDATES

Leg 6 is a 6,100 nautical mile race to Auckland, New Zealand. Six teams will start by crossing the South China Sea to the northern tip of the Philippines. After that, it’s out into the Pacific and a long drag race to the south-east, dodging the many island chains of Polynesia until they reach Auckland.

Dongfeng Race Team edge to thrilling victory...Newport braves cold to welcome in Team Alvimedica...Local boy Enright humbled by warm reception

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, USA, May 7 – Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) edged overall Volvo Ocean Race leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) by just three minutes and 25 seconds to win Leg 6 to Newport after an enthralling duel over the past 24 hours. “We were within a couple of lengths of getting over them at Block Island - literally three or four boat lengths from rolling them - but they held on and dug deep. Very well deserved win,” said Walker.

Tired, a little disappointed, but still proud, Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) savoured their home town welcome in the small hours of Thursday as Newport residents stayed out in bitterly cold conditions to cheer them in.

Skipper Enright grew up in nearby Bristol, but learned much of his craft in the sailing crazy town’s Narrangansett Bay.

It’s still anyone’s leg to win in Newport / Newport Race Village Opens

ALICANTE, Spain, May 5, 2015 – The Volvo Ocean Race’s only North American stopover in Newport, RI, is set to open with a fanfare on Tuesday, while less than 500 nautical miles away, six boats were battling desperately to become the first to join the party.

The 2014-15 12th edition is the first in the race’s 41-year history to be contested on one-design boats and it has so far delivered a series of amazingly close leg finishes.

ALICANTE, Spain, May 4, 2015 – The Volvo Ocean Race fleet found fair winds rather then the ill fortune of repute as they raced through the Bermuda Triangle in the thrilling Leg 6 race towards Newport, Rhode Island on Monday. They all have under 1,000 nautical miles to go.

Team Alvimedica snatch narrow Leg 6 lead

ALICANTE, Spain, April 24 – American Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA), who are dreaming of winning the Volvo Ocean Race’s sixth leg to their home port of Newport, Rhode Island, USA, snatched a narrow lead on Friday. The 5,010-nautical mile (nm) stage from Itajaí, Brazil, to Newport could not be more finely balanced as, once again, the six boats are incredibly closely matched in the Atlantic as they headed from South to North America.